Recollections
by Griselbrand
Summary: *Headcanons for the Dangan Ronpa cast* Everyone has a story. But not everyone's story has been told. Here are seventeen stories from seventeen different kids. Each is unique. All are connected. Centered around one world, one school, one catastrophe. Do you want to learn their stories?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I much as I want to, I do not own Dangan Ronpa. Dangan Ronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and a bunch of other less important companies.

* * *

Everyone has a past.

Events in their lives that shaped them into who they are today.

Everyone has an important memory.

A moment in their lives that left a lasting impression on them.

Everyone strives for something.

Whether it be success, money, respect, or acceptance.

Everyone has secrets. Everyone has fears. Everyone has insecurities.

Things we would rather keep hidden from the rest of the world.

Everyone has a story. But not everyone's story has been told.

Some are obscured by the ravages of time.

Some are brutally ended before they have a chance to be told.

And countless others are forgotten, destroyed or simply ignored for one reason or another.

Here are seventeen stories from seventeen kids.

Each is unique. All are connected.

Centered around one world, one school, one catastrophe.

An Idol.

A Baseball Player.

A Programmer.

A Gang Leader.

A Hall Monitor.

An Otaku.

A Gambler.

A Fighter.

A Shaman.

A Swimmer.

A Writer.

A Serial Killer.

An Heir.

A Detective.

A Soldier.

A Model.

And an otherwise average Luckster.

These are their lives.

These are their struggles.

These are their Recollections.

Do you want to learn their stories?

* * *

**Author's Note:** Here it is; my next series, Recollections. This is just the prologue, the real thing will begin next Friday, with Sayaka Maizono's tale. This will be a loooooong project, and as such, this will be my only concrete upload date for it. It will take time to research each character's personalities and backgrounds to write a convincing narration. Having heacanons for all these characters is one thing, writing them with their voices is another. Speaking of headcanons, keep in mind that this is just one big collection of them. You are free to disagree with whatever I write, and I encourage you to let me know of your own headcanons for the Dangan Ronpa cast. Don't take it personally though. But who knows? You might come to view some of the cast in a slightly different light.

As always, happy reading!

-Griselbrand


	2. The Idol

I think it was their smiles.

They looked so happy on television. I couldn't help but be envious.

I was just a young girl back then, and home alone, as usual.

Dad worked late every night, and my mother had never been in my life. I assumed that she was dead.

Sitting with my legs crossed under the kotatsu, I flipped through the channels, sometimes lingering on one for a minute or two if it caught my interest before moving on to the next.

That day, I happened to stop on a televised live action idol performance.

Though I was a kid, I still knew that most things on TV were fake, even if the people on it were real.

Why then, did their smiles as they looked down at the audience seem so sincere? Why then, when they sang and danced across the stage, did they seem so...happy? Surely, _these_ smiles couldn't be fake?

I didn't understand back then.

I thought they had everything that I didn't. Beauty. Attention. Happiness. Friends.

And the way they shared their smiles with the crowd...I was drawn to them, just like everyone else.

I was envious, so envious.

I was both inspired and resolved to become an idol. Inspired, because I wanted to become an idol to reach out to those who were similar to me. Resolved, because I sought to take what all I wanted from being an idol; the fame, the attention, the happiness.

That was the beginning of my dream to become an idol.

Yes, it was definitely their smiles.

* * *

The next morning I woke up in with a smile, my head swimming, still full of dreams of me singing and dancing onstage. I rushed into the kitchen to find dad drinking his daily cup of coffee.

"Dad!", I exclaimed, "I have big news!"

He smiled tiredly at me. "Oh?", he said, "And what might that be?"

"I know what I want to be when I grow up!", I said, beaming back at him and putting my hands on my hips.

"Really? That's great!", he said, breaking into a more relaxed grin. "What is it?"

"An idol!", I said proudly, puffing out my chest.

His smile vanished in an instant. He looked down at his coffee. "No you don't", he said quietly.

"What do you mean? Why not?", I asked, a pout on my face.

"You just don't want to be an idol when you grow up." He said, standing up and walking over to the sink. "And that's final.", he said, pouring the rest of his coffee down the drain.

"You can't tell me what I can or can't be!", I yelled at him angrily, stamping my foot. "It's my life!"

He hesitated. "You're right.", he conceded eventually. "I can't control your life." He walked over to the coat hangar and grabbed his jacket "I can only offer you advice. It's your decision whether you listen to me or not." Dad was at the door now, opening it. "Goodbye Sayaka, see you tomorrow.", he said, and left, leaving me fuming, shaking in anger.

Who was he to deny my dream? He, who was barely around, who always left me alone. Who was he to try and stop me from gaining what I wanted; friends, fame and happiness?

I didn't understand back then.

From that day on, our relationship only degraded further.

I made a point to ignore his frequent attempts at conversation, and when Dad talked about the future, I brought up my continuing plans to be an idol, which shut him right up.

Eventually, we stopped seeing each other at all. I stayed in my room until he left in the mornings. One time, Dad stayed really late into the day, probably trying to catch a glimpse of me and see if I still lived here. He stayed so late that my stomach was starting to make noises of protest. I am not a good cook, but even eating my own food was preferable to starving to death. But finally I heard a sigh, and the front door slam. After that day, he always left before I woke up.

As the years passed, I continued to work towards my dream on my own. I studied hard during middle school, picked up a part time job as a waitress, used that money to go to karaoke bars to practice singing and dancing, and read more and more fashion magazines. I came out of my shell; I talked to others, complimented them, asked for makeup advice, and established myself as the polite and pretty popular girl. Then one day I heard there was going to be local idol auditions next week.

I was so nervous I barely slept that week. I practiced over and over. From singing to dancing to my beaming smile and polite tone of voice. Finally, the day came.

_What if I don't make it?_, I thought, as I walked into the studio and registered myself. _What if they don't like me? What if they think I am unsuited to be an idol? I have nothing else._ All these negative thoughts and emotions were swirling around in my head. My legs were shaking; my breath, heavy.

"Contestant 11037, Sayaka Maizono", came the breathy voice of the receptionist.

Shakily, I stood and gave the receptionist a weak smile before I walked through the door to where the judges sat.

Thankfully, my body went on autopilot. I performed my routine without a hitch, from my introduction (pose and wink at them), to my singing and dancing (high note here, spin there), to my outro (than you so very much for having me!).

It wasn't until I got home and to my room that my legs turned into jello and I collapsed.

I just had to hope at that point that I would be selected for a trial run.

Of course I got it.

* * *

They called me the next day, asking if I wanted to do a gig at a local shopping mall for my first time as an idol. Don't worry, they said, you will be there as part of a group of other new and upcoming idols.

My eyes lit up at this statement. Other new idols. People who shared the same dream as me. Perhaps they could be my first true friends?

I agreed, and when the day came, I made my way to the mall. Backstage, in the dressing room, I found many similarly nervous and scared girls around my age or a little older.

"S-So, do you think they are going to eat us a-alive?", one nervously joked.

"Nah.", another said somberly. "Too much squirming and moaning. We'll probably be killed first."

I decided to pipe in. "W-well at least they'll have dinner and a show!"

At this, the tension in the room drained out completely as we burst into hysterical laughter.

"Right, right.", a third said, wiping tears from her eyes and walking towards the door. "Well, lets go give this crowd the show of their lives. And ours!"

It was amazing, being part of a group like that. I was filled with such energy, singing and dancing seemed easy and natural. Our personalities and character traits bounced off each other so easily. We laughed along with the audience. I gave them my brightest smiles, and they gave me theirs back. I was truly happy.

After the concert, I was tired and sore but very much fulfilled. I just had the time of my life, the crowds emotions feeding into me, and my joy being sent out to them. I was acknowledged by them, and by my fellow idols. I had friends who were the same as me. I was happy.

When the show ended, our manager, who I had not seen up until that point, burst into our dressing room, full of congratulations and praise. He was a chubby man, small and round, with a mustache and he seemed to be sweating constantly. He came around and took each of our hands in his sweaty one and gave them a good shake.

He then checked the clipboard that he held in his other hand. His eyes became downcast.

"Is this correct?", he said, his voice coming out in a rumble. "Is this 'Sayaka Maizono' only fifteen years old?"

I swallowed. "Yes, it's true.", I said timidly.

"This is not good, Miss Maizono. You need to be at least sixteen at this agency to become an idol.", he said, turning to me. "I'm sorry, but we will have to let you go."

"Please wait!", I said, desperate. "I turn sixteen next week! You can check! Can you at least give me until then?"

He appeared to be mulling it over. "...Alright.", he finally said. "Come back to the agency the day you turn sixteen. We will discuss things from there. You are dismissed."

I let out a sigh of relief. Thank God! I almost lost my idol status before I had even begun my career!

Our manager turned to the others "If you'll excuse me I have some...business arrangements to take care of with these young ladies here."

"What kind of business arrangements?", I asked curiously, heading for the door.

"Ones that involve their now permanent status as up-and-coming idols.", he said, not looking back at me.

I was so relieved that felt no need to question him further and left the dressing room.

I didn't understand back then.

But I would, soon.

* * *

My sixteenth birthday came with little fanfare. I had no true friends at my middle school, but those who knew me wished me a happy birthday. I treated myself to some cake that I bought during the day as a birthday treat and made my way home after school. When I got home, I found a card lying on my bed with a few bills in it and a hastily scrawled 'Happy Birthday Sayaka!' inside, which caused me to smile slightly.

I had stopped holding a grudge against my dad some time ago, I was sure he was just trying to look out for me. But we still hadn't spoke in more than a year; I was beginning to think our relationship was irreparable.

Putting those thoughts aside, I slipped into the clothes I had worn during my first interview and made my way to my manager's office.

When I knocked on his door, I was greeted with a gruff: "Come in."

He looked up, saw it was me, and immediately broke into a broad, toothy smile.

"Ahh. Miss Maizono. I trust you are of age this time?", he said, chuckling as if he had just made a funny joke.

"Yes.", I replied, smiling. "I just turned sixteen today."

"Good, good.", he said standing. "Well its about time you and I also discuss our future 'business arrangements'." He walked over to the door and locked it.

"Huh?", I said, confused and a little scared. "What do you mean?"

"You and I are going to have a long talk about what it takes to be a successful idol in this business.", he said, leering at me. "If you don't want to be one, you can always back out now. Don't worry, I'm not a rapist."

Horror froze my thoughts as realization dawned upon me.

"Well?", he said, tapping his foot. He was getting impatient. "What's your decision? I am the best in the business you know. You won't be able to make it without a recommendation from me."

I made my decision right then.

And lost something very important.

I finally understood.

* * *

Being an idol is not and off-and-on job. It is a twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty-five days a year job. Day after day, you attend meetings, make appearances, write songs, preform onstage, sign autographs. Your life is in constant flux. There is no time to rest. If you do, you get swept away by the current or are lost by the wayside.

All of us in the group knew what was going on behind the scenes, but we turned a blind eye to each other's problems. When one of us was called into the manager's office for 'business reasons', the rest of us turned away and started up a conversation, ignoring those of us slinking into his office as quietly as we could. In a way, it preserved what little dignity we had left. We didn't want pity or sympathy. If we did, we wouldn't have agreed to it in the first place.

I discovered that it was no accident that some idol scandals broke when they did. It almost seemed to happen on a schedule, with strikingly regularity. I personally dug up the dirty secrets of half my current group as well as many other idols. I wasn't a naïvely optimistic young girl anymore.

It was still fun, of course. Being an idol was never boring, and I enjoyed every minute that I was onstage. But more and more it began to feel like an addiction, a temporary fix used to escape reality. In front of my fans, I was Sayaka Maizono, the pure and innocent idol who was friendly with everyone. But when the concerts ended, I became a completely different person. Sayaka Maizono, a girl who was certainly _not_ pure or innocent by any means, who did whatever it took to stay on top. There was no middle ground anymore. I was either a clean idol or a dirty crook. I had nothing else.

There was only one time when I ever thought differently after the incident on my sixteenth birthday. It was towards the end of my last middle school year. An accident or some mistake occurred and a large white crane was trapped on campus. It wasn't that big an issue; the plan was to call animal control and wait for them to come and take care of it.

As I looked down at that crane from my classroom window, I couldn't help but notice how it was pacing back and forth, head and neck swiveling around left and right. It was trapped, and it was scared.

I realized that I felt the same way. I had no plan, no goals or things that I wanted to do after my idol career inevitably fell through, which I knew it would one day. I knew that this life couldn't be permanent, but I got too caught up with being and idol to stop and think.

_What am I going to do?_, I thought, panicked. _I'm trapped. I have no way out of this life. I...I need help._

_I need someone...to save me...!_

That's when I first saw him.

A short, brown haired boy with messy, spiky hair and a green hoodie. He was walking out to into the courtyard where the crane was cautiously, carefully. The crane noticed him and reared back, letting out a screech as it did so, but still the boy advanced. He murmured softly to the crow, gestured softly, gently cupped its feathers. And slowly, very slowly, the great bird calmed down and relaxed in his presence. And just as slowly, the boy steadily led the crane out the courtyard, murmuring softly all the while. When it was finally free, the crane let out one last screech before it took off into the sky. The boy then turned back in our direction, let out a sigh of relief, and smiled.

I was stunned.

How had he done it? _Why _had he done it? Who was he? _What _was he? Was his smile fake as well?

All of these questions and more flew through my head, but one floated through my head stronger and more often than any other.

_Could he save me too?_

I turned to my neighbor. "Do you know who that person is?", I asked, pointing down at the boy.

She gave him a brief look. "Oh him? That's Makoto Naegi. He's a pretty ordinary guy."

_I wouldn't be so sure about that, _I thought.

"Makoto Naegi huh?...", I said. I resolved then to talk to him before the school year ended.

But I never did.

Maybe if I had...things would have been different.

* * *

I eventually decided to try and enroll into Hope's Peak Academy. They promised guaranteed success in life if you graduate. How could I not try and enroll after hearing that? Maybe I even deluded myself into thinking I could be an idol forever if I graduated.

I knew I was likely to get in, and I wasn't wrong. After all, I was a famous idol even in middle school. Now that I was older, I qualified for a Super High School Level title. I only hoped that my classmates wouldn't be too weird.

But in the meantime, as usual, I performed as an idol. My manager's 'requests' were getting more and more outrageous as time went on. He sometimes called us back two, three at a time. The stress from this and the daily tasks of an idol were spilling over into our group. We were beginning to fracture.

I almost backed out of Hope's Peak right then and there to try and salvage my relationship with my idol friends. But the lure of guaranteed success is hard to resist, so come the first day of school, I was at the gates, ready to walk in and face a new school life.

To my surprise and immense relief, I noticed a familiar face among the crowd of strangers. And it was none other than Makoto Naegi, who I had wanted to talk to. I was sure that I would never see him again, after all, he was always described to me as the most average, normal person anyone had ever met. Who knew that he would be lucky enough to make it into Hope's Peak? It was almost like fate wanted us to meet.

As I made my way across the entrance hall to say hello to Naegi-kun, I was intercepted by a boisterous, strawberry-blonde haired girl who I recognized from the fashion magazines that I read so regularly.

"Sayaka Maizono right?", Junko Enoshima said with a wide grin.

"Yep. That's me!", I said, smiling back.

"Junko Enoshima.", she introduced herself. "I heard I was going to be your classmate from your idol friends.", she said.

"Oh! I see! They should've introduced us.", I said casually.

"What's done is done though, huh?", Enoshima-san said, still smiling. "If you ever need anything, come to me." She put a hand with fake red fingernails on my shoulder. "Us public icons got to stick together, y'know? To fight against corruption and stuff." Her eyes were boring into mine.

I shrugged off her hand. "Thanks for the offer.", I said. "I will be sure to keep it in mind."

She shrugged. "No problem. See ya Maizono-san.", she said, walking away.

I shivered as she walked away. She seemed unusually perceptive, and somehow dangerous. I shrugged it off as nerves, and went back to looking for Naegi-kun.

But I was interrupted yet again, this time by a boy with bright orange hair, numerous piercings and a goatee.

"Sayaka Maizono-chan?", he said, voice coming out slightly breathless. "I am your biggest fan!"

"Are you?", I said, slightly giggling.

"It's true!", he exclaimed, "I love your work!"

"Okay, okay!" I said, continuing giggling. "And what is your name?"

"Name's Leon Kuwata, Maizono-chan!", he said proudly.

"Kuwata-kun...Aren't you the Super High School Level baseball player?", I asked.

Kuwata-kun scowled. "I hate that title. And I hate baseball. Actually, I want to become a famous singer like you!"

I froze. "Oh really? What do you want to sing?"

"Punk, of course!", he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well you certainly have the look for it!", I said, giggling. But inside, I seethed. How did easy did he think it was to become a famous singer? He knew nothing of what I had sacrificed to be on the top.

"Yeah, its been my dream since I was little.", Kuwata-kun said. "Don't know how I got roped into doing baseball though."

Internally, I flinched. He sounded like me when I was a kid. Instantly, my anger at him evaporated, and was replaced by guilt.

"Well," I said slowly, "I could give you some lessons if you want."

"Private l-lessons with M-Maizono-chan?", Kuwata-kun stuttered out, blood dripping out his nose. "S-Sure!"

"Let's schedule them later, okay?", I said. "Right now, I kinda want to meet with everyone else."

"S-Sure, no problem Maizono-chan!", he said. "Alright then, bye!" He ran away, cupping his nose.

I sighed. I probably shouldn't have encouraged him. He seemed so naïve. _Just like you were, _said a voice inside my head. I shook it out.

Finally, I made my way over to Naegi-kun.

"M-Maizono-san?", he said, surprised. "Hello, how are you?"

"No need to be so formal, Naegi-kun.", I said "We did go to the same middle school together."

"Y-you knew that I went to the same middle school as you?", he said, even more surprised now.

"Of course I did. I've been wanting to talk to you since the day you saved that crane, at least just once."

"You wanted to talk to me?", Naegi-kun said, continually shocked by these revelations. "But..."

_He's so hesitant its adorable. I can almost predict what he's going to say._

"You think that I wouldn't want to talk to you? Why's that?", I said, smiling in anticipation his next comment.

"H-Huh? Maziono-san, you can read minds?", he said, (to no one's surprise) surprised.

"Of course!", I said playfully, giggling. "Because I'm an esper!"

* * *

As my life began at Hope's Peak, I began to change. I could feel it as it was happening. I was no longer consumed by a desire to be in spotlight all the time. Performing as an idol was still fun, but I didn't feel a compulsion to do it anymore. I attributed it to the fact that I now had friends that weren't idols, like Naegi-kun and Kuwata-kun, and who had their own dreams and desires. Naegi-kun listened to my fears and worries while offering sound advice. Kuwata-kun reignited the passion I had for performance with his zeal for music. Asahina-san and my other girl friends were always very supportive of me and a blast to be around. Once again, I was satisfied with my life. I was having fun.

It was a peaceful and enjoyable first year at Hope's Peak. As classmates we grew together, overcoming each other's fears and insecurities; like when Fujisaki-kun confessed his secret, or when Oogami-san told us about Kenchiro-kun. I had never been so close to another group of people before. We were like a family.

It was my friends that asked me to attempt to rekindle my relationship with my dad, specifically Naegi-kun. One day, in the middle of my first year at Hope's Peak, I stayed up really late into the night, sitting at the table, until he came home. I was just about to nod off when I heard the door open.

"Sayaka?", he said. It had been so long since I had heard his voice I almost forget what it sounded like.

"Hey dad.", I said.

He took off his coat and hung it on the chair beside me. The he sat down. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Miss Maizono?", he said with a smile.

I flinched. "Don't call me that.", I said, frowning.

"Ahh. I'm sorry Sayaka.", he said, scratching the back of his head. "So did you figure out why I didn't want you to become an idol?", dad asked.

"Yes.", I said, looking down at the table.

He looked at me, long and hard. "I never told you who your mother was, did I?", he asked quietly.

"No, you never did.", I said, looking back up at him.

He told me. I couldn't believe it.

"Really? _She's _my mother?", I asked, shocked.

"Yep. True as truth.", he said with a sad smile.

"So that's why she's never around.", I said, putting the pieces together.

"Yeah, wouldn't want to create another scandal for the family, now, would we?", he said, sighing heavily.

We were quiet for a while.

"Dad?", I said, finally breaking the silence.

"What is it Sayaka?", he asked.

"I'm sorry.", I said.

"I am too Sayaka. I am too.", he said.

We spent the rest of the night holding each other.

* * *

It didn't last though. It never does.

At the end of the first year, One day before 'that incident' occurred, I went, as I usually did after school, down to my manager's office. Today it was my payday.

I walked into the building, the receptionist gave me the okay to head up to his office, and I took the elevator up to his floor.

Walking down the hallway to his office, I noticed his door was open. Thinking he was expecting me, I passed through the doorframe.

I was greeted with a sight of bruised and bloody body laid out on an office desk.

He was stripped down to his underwear. His skull was caved in. His mustache was torn out. He had numerous bruises. Blood oozed down the sides of the desk.

I screamed.

At my scream, figures in the room who I had not seen yet due to the shock of finding the body turned to look at me.

"Geez you are so loud.", one said

"She's always been the loud one though.", said another.

"True enough.", the first one replied.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, I began to make out the figures. They were my fellow idols. And they were each holding a bloody microphone in their hands.

"Hey Maizono! Want to join us? We were just finishing up!", one snickered.

"W-What?", I stammered out.

"Isn't it obvious? We beat him to death!", the first one said. "Like this!" Having said that, she proceeded to pound his chest with the microphone over and over, deforming his body, blood flying-

"Stop!", I shouted.

"Why Sayaka-chan?", the last said, finally piping in. "He was a terrible man."

"I agree. Terrible, terrible.", the second said.

"You just killed him!", I said in disbelief.

"Uhhh...I think we already said that Maizono.", the third said.

"Anyways, we have a concert to preform!", the first one said. "Right girls?" The other idols nodded.

"What are you talking about?", I exclaimed. "We don't have a show today!"

"We don't? Well what's that there then?", the second said, hitching her thumb in the direction of the window.

I nervously walked to the window, the stares of my fellow 'idols' on my back. Outside was a sea of people standing around a stage, all wearing the same black and white bear mask and looking extremely agitated.

My knees gave out and I collapsed onto the ground.

"Say Maizono, care to open for us tonight?", the first one said, waving her bloody microphone at me temptingly.

"Uhh...N-No thank you. Sorry g-girls.", I said, shakily standing up. "I seem to have come down with...with the flu. I'd better head home.", I lied through my teeth. _That's so dumb_, I thought. _Like they would ever believe that._

"Oh. Well that's perfectly understandable.", The first one said.

"Yep, yep.", the second said. "It can't be helped."

My jaw dropped in disbelief, but I made my way towards the exit. "Yes, well, I'm sure I will see you guys around.", I said, through the doorway I was slowly stumbling out of.

"Don't worry Sayaka-chan, I'm sure we will have plenty of fun with your dad instead.", the fourth said quietly.

My heart stopped for a split second. Then, very slowly, I turned and looked back at my former friends. They were all grinning at me, a grin that looked so familiar...

"Boo.", the third one said.

I bolted.

I ran as fast as I could, down the stairs, out the building, to my house.

It wasn't my house anymore.

It had been trashed, ransacked, and was in the process of burning to the ground.

Dad was nowhere to be seen.

And I never saw him again.

Then the Malefaction occurred. I was forced to live at school since my home was now gone. When the headmaster proposed to turn this place into a shelter and asked if I was prepared to stay in this school the rest of my life I instantly agreed. I had nothing left in the outside world.

I didn't want to become useless in the new environment we were forced to live in. Everyone was scared. Everyone was afraid. Once again, I found my resolve. I worked up the courage to ask Mukuro Ikusaba, Enoshima-san's sister to teach me self defense. _If push comes to shove, _I thought, _I will protect my friends with everything I have._ She reluctantly agreed.

I was actually pretty fit from my time as an idol, and I learned basic defensive moves pretty easily. Ikusaba-san was the only one who seemed unfazed by the current situation we were in, probably because she had faced similar things during her time on the problem. Her sister was another matter. Enoshima-san was taking the fact that we were trapped and essentially cut off from the outside world very poorly. She was hysterical, crying and fainting as we worked to seal the school. Ikusaba-san would just carry her back to her room where there she stayed for a little while before she came back out with a smile.

It wasn't long after we finished sealing the school that I got an unexpected guest one day. I heard the doorbell to by bedroom ringing and found Ikusaba-san standing there.

"Ahh hello Ikusaba-san!", I said cheerfully. "What brings you here?"

"...Do you want to train in self defense today?", she said.

"Uhhh...sure. But I thought our training time was going to be tomorrow.", I said, a little taken aback.

Ikusaba-san blinked. "...So is that a no?", she asked.

"No, no, no!", I said hurriedly. "Please, come in. Make yourself at home."

I turned-

And then all was black

* * *

I woke up in a classroom alone.

What was I doing again? Oh yes, I had just walked through the gates of Hope's Peak and then...I collapsed?

_Someone must have carried me here...?, _I thought.

I found a note on the desk in front of me. It said something about meeting the others in the entrance hall...?

I stood, and walked out of the room. Thankfully, I didn't have far to walk. As I walked into the hall, I saw thirteen other faces turn to look at me. I appeared to be late.

"Are you the last one?", a sharply dressed boy said, pushing up his glasses.

"Unlikely. Fourteen is not a typical amount of people for a class.", said a lilac haired girl.

I quickly slid my way to the back. I didn't want to talk to any of these people. Especially the guy with the crazy hair or the dangerous looking delinquent.

But one of them came and decided to talk to me.

"Sayaka Maizono-chan?", a boy with bright orange hair, piercings and a goatee said, his voice coming out slightly breathless. "I am your biggest fan!"

"Are you?", I said, slightly giggling.

"It's true!", he exclaimed, "I love your work!"

"Okay, okay!" I said, continuing giggling. "And what is your name?"

"Name's Leon Kuwata, Maizono-chan!", he said proudly.

"Kuwata-kun...Aren't you the Super High School Level baseball player?", I asked.

Kuwata-kun scowled. "I hate that title. And I hate baseball. Actually, I want to become a famous singer like you!"

I froze. "Oh really? What do you want to sing?"

"Punk, of course!", he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well you certainly have the look for it!", I said, giggling. But inside, I seethed. How did easy did he think it was to become a famous singer? He knew nothing of what I had sacrificed to be on the top.

Just then someone didn't so much walk through as they burst through the door. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Makoto Naegi, who I had wanted to talk to before middle school ended, but never had the chance too. I still remembered how he saved that crane. I still remembered what I thought when he did.

_Could he save me too?_

Soon after, Naegi-kun introduced himself to everyone, and they, in turn, introduced themselves. Mine and Naegi-kun's talk was cut short by some stuck-up prefect, but I promised to finish my conversation with him later. Then we were mysteriously called into the gym where, you won't believe this, a_ toy bear_ proclaimed that we would never leave this school.

I began to panic at this thought. _What do you mean I can never leave!?_, I thought. _I have to perform! I have nothing else! I don't want to be forgotten..._

Is it bad that I felt relieved when the bear, who called himself Monokuma, said that all you needed to do to leave this school was kill someone? Because I did. I felt so much relief I nearly collapsed right there.

I didn't really pay attention to anything else that was being said. I know at one point Monokuma exploded, sending the delinquent looking guy reeling. But my mind was focused on something else entirely.

The next few days passed in a blur, as I allowed myself to hope that there might be some way out of this school without killing someone. But that hope slowly died as I discovered we were trapped in here with no way out. When the motive videos were shown, it was the last straw. _I had to get out now!_

I decided that Naegi-kun could save me, just not in the way I originally wanted.

* * *

I don't know why I chose Kuwata-kun as my victim.

Maybe it was the fact that I didn't like how he trivialized what I did for a living.

Maybe it was the fact that I didn't like his stupid goatee.

Maybe it was the fact that he was the only other person who talked to me that day.

Maybe it was all those reasons, or maybe it was something else...

Regardless, the time came, and Kuwata-kun opened the door on that fateful night.

I lunged, but misjudged the distance between us in the dark and missed, slashing the wall with the knife.

"Maizono-chan?!", Kuwata-kun said, dancing backward further into the room.

"Just die!", I screamed at him swinging wildly.

"Calm down! What's wrong with you!?", he said, retreating, bumping into that golden sword me and Naegi-kun had got the previous day.

"Shut UP!", I yelled.

I slashed downward. He blocked with the sheath, causing me to stumble back, slicing the wall again.

The sheath slid off the sword. Kuwata-kun brought the sword around, hitting my wrist. I heard a snap. The knife slid out of my hand, falling to the ground with a clatter.

We both froze for a moment. I knew he would go for it. So I took the opportunity to flee into the bathroom while he dove for the knife.

But now I was trapped. I heard him pounding on the door.

"Maziono! God dammit, let me in!"

"Imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry!"

I heard him curse and walk away and for a moment, I believed I would make it out of this alive.

But then I heard his footsteps return. Why did he come back? He didn't have to come back.

Then I remembered. We were still stuck in this god-forsaken school. And I had given him the opportunity to create the perfect crime.

No. No! Nononononononononononononononononononono!

The door flew open. I launched myself at him. He shoved his arm forward. I heard a *schick*!

And then I fell backwards to the wall and slid down to the linoleum floor.

"Shit! Shit shit shit!", Kuwta-kun said, turning green.

My consciousness was fading. But I had to let them know!...

So while Kuwata-kun was throwing up in the toilet, I used my own blood to write his name. L-E-O-N.

_Oh wait, _I thought. _It'll be backwards. _The thought brought a giggle to my lips, but all that came out was a gurgle of blood.

Kuwata-kun was back on his fee now, as unsteady as they were, and was looking down at me in a mix of horror and revulsion. Since when was he so tall?...

He ran. Turned and left the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

_So once again, I am alone, _I thought, eyes closing.

My last thoughts were of Naegi-kun's smile as he freed that crane, so long, long ago.

_If we could do this all over, _I thought, _could he have saved me too?_

Then, nothing.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Whew! That's why these are only going up occasionally. Combined time, this took me a full day to make, edit and upload. I ran out of Dangan Ronpa MEPs to listen to while I worked. And it still says 11:30 on my clock so technically still a Friday release. Anyways, onto analysis!

Story Analysis: Sayaka Maizono is both a very understood and very misunderstood character. She, perhaps more so than anyone else, has been molded by her talent, not the other way around. Everything about her is very clean and calculated, she is a product of her business. Its easy to say that she was just hiding her true emotions in the game, but I believe that she wasn't. I believe she was genuinely worried that her existence was in danger because her career as an idol was being threatened. Being an idol is all she ever knew. As for the headcanon part of this story, its based on a few details told to us in the game and the manga. I just elaborated from their. But yeah, take another look at Sayaka Maizono's character. She's surprisingly deep for only being in one chapter and perfectly embodies the undertone of the level of stress that 'talent' can have on you which is prevalent in the game. All of the Dangan Ronpa character's insecurities are tied to their talents in one way or another. Maizono's was just the most obvious.

As always; Don't stop. The Reading! Hold onto that feeeeeeling! Ahhh, whatever. I'm tired. Happy reading!

-Griselbrand


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